Assistant Education Specialist

Location: Kumasi

RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned:

Pathways to Excellence

• Collaborate with [Senior] Education Specialists in-country to develop and implement a School Self-Assessment and School Development Plan that analyses school performance against 18 domains of education quality.
• Collaborate with [Senior] Education Specialists to establish and support school development planning teams at each school to identify priority areas for school improvement and train school leaders and teachers on provided digital resources for each domain of education quality.

Cluster Development

• Establish effective school Clusters by supporting the development of a Cluster governance committee with a Cluster Leader, Deputy Cluster Leader, and Cluster Administrator.
• Develop an annual schedule of Cluster Meetings for school leaders and teacher mentors.
• Facilitate collaboration across Clusters for school enrichment activities, i.e., sports competitions, debate teams, arts exhibitions, among others.

School Leader Professional Development

• Co-Facilitate delivery of School Leadership Professional Development training led by Education Specialists and or Senior Education Specialists on leadership and management best practices, including budgeting, marketing, and branding, financial management, staff engagement and retention, among others.

Teacher Mentor Professional Development

• With guidance from a Senior Education Specialist, develop mentorship capacity of teachers through Joint Practice Development (JPD) by facilitating independently and/or collaborating with external trainers. Through ongoing coaching and training, JPD targets the improvement of teacher motivation, subject matter expertise, and pedagogical skills within school Clusters and Opportunity International’s broader network of schools.

Learning & Knowledge Management

• Document case studies of ongoing effective practices and innovations from the field for dissemination to internal and external stakeholders.
• Liaise with learning partners, as necessary, who engage with the EduFinance program to evaluate effectiveness and impact. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 3-5 years of experience working in the field of affordable private education in Ghana.
• At least 1-2 years of experience as a classroom teacher at pre-primary and primary levels.
• Degree in a field related to school-based education, or education development, with experience in the education field.
• Strong writing, data collection, and ICT skills (e.g. Microsoft Office products, mobile tablets, etc.).
• International education experience or training is preferred.
• Experience working within cross-cultural global organizations and NGOs is added advantage
• Strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are required.
• Strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are required.
• Readily identifies mistakes and works to actively develop fixes and solutions.
• Aggressive pursuit of excellence, including regularly going above and beyond the call of duty to achieve results that will contribute to the development goals of the organization.
• Flexibility in ambiguous work environments without losing sight of desired outcomes.
• Honest and direct in communication and business practices.
• Embodies ethical and high moral standards and can identify unethical behavior and report to EduFinance senior management.
• An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and values of Opportunity International.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Written and verbal fluency in English, additional 1 or 2 local languages required. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• Access to a personal vehicle for 80% domestic travel
• Able to travel with minimal notice and maximum flexibility.
• Willing to travel independently and without escort or planning support.